World Series: Progressively worse: Cubs drub Indians to force Game 7

CLEVELAND — Break out the rabbit’s foot, the lucky penny and the four-leaf clover.While you’re at it, break out the Maalox.

If the Cleveland Indians are going to end a 68-year championship drought, they’ll have to do it in Game 7. And they’ll have to play a lot better than they did on Tuesday.

Tribe starter Josh Tomlin gave up three runs in the first inning — thanks to a colossal miscommunication in right-center — and the Indians never recovered, falling to the Chicago Cubs 9-3 in a deflating Game 6 at Progressive Field.

“Tonight was a tough night,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s a really important game tomorrow.”

Tonight at 8, Cleveland will pin its hopes on ace Corey Kluber, who won Games 1 and 4 and who will be pitching on short rest for the third time this postseason. Relievers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen will also be fresh, since neither pitched on Tuesday night. Chicago will counter with Kyle Hendricks, who led the majors in ERA this season but lasted just 4 ? innings in Game 3.

“That’s a good feeling,” Francona said of having Kluber. “I know they love their guy, too, as they should. Game 7, two really, really good pitchers and it’ll be exciting.

“Like I said before tonight’s game, it’s an honor to even be a part of it and we’re gonna give it everything we have. I can’t imagine a better group of guys to go through something like that. I’m looking forward to it already.”

Only five teams have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series, a fact that seemed encouraging on Saturday night but seems particularly ominous now, especially since Cleveland fans have spent the last four months taunting the sports gods by mocking the Golden State Warriors for blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Tuesday’s misery started early, with Tomlin getting two quick outs, then giving up a 433-foot meatball to Kris Bryant on an 0-2 count.

Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist followed with singles to put runners on the corners and set up the game’s biggest play. Addison Russell hit a fly ball into right-center that center fielder Tyler Naquin and left fielder Lonnie Chisenhall each converged on, but neither called for, allowing it to drop between them and both runners to score.

With that, the crowd of 38,116 (not counting a nauseating number of Cubs fans) shook their heads and muttered, “Thank God for LeBron James.”

“That was an unfortunate play,” Francona said. “We thought we were out of the inning with one run and instead it’s three and JT has to keep pitching.”

The Cubs ended any lingering suspense in the third inning when Russell hit a grand slam that only Tribe drummer John Adams could’ve misplayed, making it 7-0 Cubbies. Rizzo added a two-run homer in the ninth.

Cleveland briefly made things interesting in the fourth, scoring one run before loading the bases with two outs. But Naquin struck out on four pitches, finished 0-for-2 and got yanked in the bottom of the seventh inning.Jason Kipnis singled, doubled and homered for the Tribe, who will play their first World Series Game 7 since losing to the Florida Marlins in 1997. That one, however, was in Miami. Thanks to the AL’s win in this year’s All-Star Game, this one will be in Cleveland, which could — and should — be good news. Home teams had won nine straight Game 7s until the San Francisco Giants snapped the streak in 2014, beating Kansas City 3-2 in MLB’s most recent winner-take-all game.

Cleveland last hosted a Game 7 in 1920, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers 3-0.

Cubs starter Jake Arrieta wasn’t perfect on Tuesday, but he was plenty good enough, holding the Indians to two runs in 5 ? innings. Chicago’s bullpen did the rest, putting the Cubs one win away from their first world championship since 1908.

So it comes down to this. The Curse of Rocky Colavito vs. the Curse of the Billy Goat. Party at Napoli’s vs. the Lovable Losers. Believeland vs. Second City.

“It’s been a very well-contested series,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “Both sides have played very good baseball.

“It’s correct and apt that we would go seven games.”

After winning Game 6 on June 17, James said the sweetest two words in the English language are “Game Seven.”

The reigning NBA Finals MVP, who watched most of Tuesday’s game from a suite, might be right.

But as the 1997 Indians can tell you, they can also be the saddest.

— You can reach Joe at or joe.scalzo@cantonrep.com or on Twitter @jscalzoREP.